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US approves Lupus drug

The first new treatment for lupus in half a century has won US approval, a milestone for patients with the disabling disease and a potential blockbuster for tiny biotech company Human Genome Sciences.

Health officials cleared Benlysta for certain patients with active lupus who are receiving standard therapy. The disease causes the immune system to attack joints and organs and has proved tough to study and treat. Human Genome will split profits from the drug with GlaxoSmithKline.

The Food and Drug Administration says black patients "did not appear to respond to treatment" in clinical trials. The company will run another study to further examine safety and effectiveness in black patients to address that concern, the agency said. Benlysta's annual global sales may top $3 billion in 2015, according to Thomson Reuters consensus forecasts.

Adapted from ABC News

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